A permanent radiopaque marker technique for the study of pharyngeal swallowing in dogs

Abstract

We describe a simple technique for permanently implanting steel marker beads in the submucosa of the pharynx of dogs for the study of pharyngeal swallowing. The beads remain stable in location, induce no inflammatory reaction, and do not impede swallowing function. High-speed 35 mm biplane cineradiographic recordings of pharyngeal swallowing with computer analysis of bead positions make it possible to measure and analyze the motion of specific anatomic structures during deglutition.